Montgomery Parks and Planning Department officials said the demands of overseeing the Intercounty Connector are so great they need four additional staff members who can focus exclusively on the 18-mile highway project.
Planning Board members unanimously approved a request Tuesday from parks and planning department leaders to ask the County Council for a $206,000 special appropriation to fund the four one-year contract positions. Currently, only one Parks Department employee is dedicated entirely to the ICC.
“In order for staff to have a real opportunity to influence aspects of the design that are locally important, we must adhere to the ICC project schedule,” the request said. “Over the last month or more, the volume and pace of such materials for review has markedly increased, causing severe demands on park and planning staff …”
Mary Dolan, acting chief of the Countywide Planning Division of the planning department, said the departments receive 10 to 20 changes a week to the highway’s design that need to be reviewed.
“If we want to have anything to say about the changes, then we have to respond quickly,” Dolan said. “There is usually a two- to four-day turnaround time … in some cases if we don’t review it, we could very well miss the opportunity to comment on it.”
Planning Board spokeswoman Valerie Berton said the positions will be lower-level staff working in a “partly administrative role.”
“They will be performing a triage function, reviewing material from the State Highway Administration and other agencies to see if it is something we want to comment on, who needs to look at it and by when,” Berton said.
Council Member Phil Andrews said though council members have different opinions on the ICC, all want to ensure there are enough staff in place to oversee the project.
“There is a lot to keep track of if this goes forward,” Andrews said.
County personnel will be expected to monitor the impact of the construction on the local environment, provide contact with the community, respond to concerns about potential problems, and ensure the state follows through on all of its commitments regarding local noise and aesthetics.
Major construction on the ICC has been delayed until a judge rules on two lawsuits from environmental groups seeking to halt the highway project.
Under an agreement struck by the State Highway Administration and ICC opponents, contractors are allowed to clear four large trees, relocate utilities, install erosion and sediment controls and remove one house owned by the administration near Redland Road.
